As we learned from the 2019 fire season, Marin County is particularly vulnerable to Public Safety Power Shutoffs during high fire risk conditions. Some communities in Marin did not have power restored for up to 5 days. This has many residents looking into solutions to keep the lights on.
The County of Marin Sustainability Team is planning a Pacific Energy Center Solar + Battery class that covers the basic information a homeowner would need to know before investing in a solar system. It also covers battery technology and how it compares to traditional generators.
The Sustainability Team is working on scheduling these classes now at community centers in Mill Valley, West Marin, and Central Marin. If you want to be notified when the registrations are live, please fill out this online form.
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The California Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program (EBB) is offering $3,000 grants to help seismically retrofit houses in certain high-risk areas. In Marin, Sausalito and Marin City (zip code 94965) homeowners may be eligible. To qualify, houses must have been built prior to 1980 and have a raised foundation.
Register online at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com - the deadline is March 19!
Homeowners will be randomly selected and notified. To qualify for reimbursement, homeowners must not apply for a permit until they have been accepted into the program and must not start the retrofit work until they have been approved by EBB to do so. Call 877-232-4300 for more information.
Marin Medical Reserve Corp offers course for anyone ages 10-95.
With disaster preparedness top of mind due to recent North Bay fires, mass evacuations, and the PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events, community members are seeking opportunities to learn what more they can do to get ready and be of service.
Dr. Thomas Cromwell, retired former Mayor of Belvedere and member of the Marin Medical Reserve Corp (MMRC), presented to the Board of Supervisors on December 3, 2019 about the First Aid for Disaster Response (FADR) course developed and conducted by the MMRC and sponsored by the County of Marin.
Originally designed for a widespread mass casualty incident, such as an earthquake where a "911" response may not be available for hours or days, this course is also instructive for anyone who is the first person available on the scene to render first aid.
The MMRC is a group of medical professionals and supporting individuals who volunteer to assist professional first responders, police, and fire fighters in a disaster. They are trained and equipped to administer medical aid in environments outside of the hospital setting.
For more information, visit https://www.marinhhs.org/marin-county-medical-reserve-corps.
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Last fall, while the Bay Area was reeling from power shutdowns and preparing for emergencies, some relief came from an unexpected technology: Electric Vehicles (EVs). EVs can provide an important source of power during grid shut-downs. In many ways, EVs can be considered battery storage on wheels, providing back-up power when the grid is down. Today’s EVs typically have about 60 kWh of energy capacity, and that can be utilized in several ways.
Because the lithium-ion batteries in an EV charge the 12-volt battery, EV owners can use the vehicle’s power when the grid is down in a safe, non-polluting, and economical way. The 12-volt battery will not be drained.
- An inexpensive inverter (under $30) plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter socket (DC 12v) and can provide about 300 watts of continuous power. For example, it can charge a phone, tablet, and laptop at one time.
Above: A small inverter connects to a Chevy Bolt battery during the late September 2019 power outage. This is recommended for up to 300 watts of continuous power.
- A moderately-priced battery inverter (under $400) that attaches directly to the car's 12-volt battery can provide 1,000 watts of continuous power. For example, it can charge a refrigerator/freezer, some home medical devices, a space heater, lights, and electronics.
Above: A 1,500-watt inverter connects to a Chevy Bolt battery, keeping the owner's household lights and other incidentals turned on during the late September 2019 power outage. This is recommended for up to 1,000 watts of continuous power.
New inverter technology, available in European markets and currently being tested in Canada, allows for bi-directional energy flow to and from the lithium-ion battery directly, through the DC port of the EV. The technology allows for home power back-up at similar-to or greater capacity than a home gas-generator, which incidentally is fueling our fires.
EV owners should check with EV manufacturers before using inverters and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for inverter use.
Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world and is responsible for an estimated six to ten percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from human activity.
The County of Marin is a leader in local green building policies, and programs have historically focused on reducing operational energy use through increased energy efficiency requirements and emphasis on low-emission fuel sources. While critical to achieving local greenhouse gas reduction targets, a new focus is being placed on reducing the embodied carbon emissions generated by the processes associated with the production of a building, including material extraction, transportation, and manufacturing.
Most of the emissions related to concrete production come from Portland cement, the "glue" that binds aggregate like sand and gravel into concrete, creating artificial rock. The emissions can be reduced by minimizing cement use to the extent possible while still achieving necessary strength, or by using cement alternatives, called "supplementary cementitious materials," or SCMs.
The Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance on November 19, 2019 that introduces scaling requirements for building permit applications to reduce embodied carbon emissions by either limiting cement content or increasing SCMs. The standards apply to projects requiring a building permit that includes new poured concrete. There will also be ongoing education of the public, building industry, and ready-mix suppliers to promote the use of low-carbon concretes for projects that don't require a building permit, for example certain patio, walkway, and driveway projects.
The ordinance is an important step towards more holistically addressing emissions from building activity in Marin County. So if you are building with concrete, consider a low-carbon option. For more information, visit the County of Marin Community Development Agency website.
On Thursday, June 25th at 7:30pm at Dominican University, TEDxMarin presents a salon on climate change.
This program will discuss:
- How sea-level rise and extreme heat will play out in the Bay Area
- New research on decarbonization solutions and economic impacts of various solutions, including inaction
- What the Government is planning or NOT planning
- Future energy technologies and where possible and quicker solutions may be found
- What human migration projections look like
It will also explore the emotional and human element of adaptation to our new realities.
Speakers include:
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REP JARED HUFFMAN, US Congressman. Jared is the U.S. Representative for California’s 2nd congressional district, which of course includes Marin County. He will discuss the role of Government in tackling our climate crisis, and what efforts are currently and need to be, deployed.
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KRISTINA DAHL Ph.D., Senior Climate Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists. Kristina will discuss the difficult choices we will wrestle with, including what are we willing to endure in the name of adapting to climate change if the ways of life we’re accustomed to, are increasingly limited by the conditions outdoors.
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DR. KATHARYN BOYER, Ecologist, Coastal Climate Resiliency Expert. A leader in science-informed coastal resiliency projects, Katharyn will discuss the local impacts of sea-level rise to the Bay Area, and adaptation efforts underway to buffer wave energy and reduce shoreline erosion while restoring wildlife habitat.
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JONATHAN KOOMEY Ph.D., Researcher, Author, and Entrepreneur. In addition to the economics of climate change and decarbonization, Jonathan will explore how to measure success and what the right path looks like, including what do we do, if we diverge from that path.
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PAUL SAFFO, Futurist / Forecaster. In addition to hosting and moderating this Salon, Paul will discuss competing perspectives in the climate debate including where the most promising solutions and technologies may come from.
There will also be an opportunity for Q&A with all speakers. Register to attend.
This is a chance for our community to come together to get the latest thinking on climate science, government's role, economic impacts, local implications, and where solutions may be found. This is an a-list group of presenters. This show is expected to sell out—so register now!
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